HOUSTON – The Northern Illinois University baseball team dropped two games Friday at Reckling Park, losing 4-3 to the Kansas State Wildcats and 6-3 in the nightcap to the host Rice Owls.
 
"It was a long, hard-fought day today," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "We're battling but we're not executing at a high enough level right now. We show heart and toughness every day we take the field. This group won't back down. We need to have a short memory and get ready for two more games tomorrow."
 
NIU (1-8) broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the ninth of its first game of the day against Kansas State. Dylan Lonteen (Peoria, Ill./Illinois Central Col.) led off by reaching on an error by Wildcats shortstop Kamron Willman. After a strikeout, Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) laced a double to right center to bring in Lonteen and give the Huskies a 2-1 lead. Kansas State relief pitcher Jaxon Passino got Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage) to fly out for the second out of the inning. Paddy McKermitt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) then stepped up to the plate and delivered a two-out RBI double to make the score 3-1.
 
Kansas State (9-4) got its first two batters in the bottom of the ninth on base with Caleb Littlejim hit by a Kyle Seebach (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle Twp.) pitch and a Zach Kokoska single. The Wildcats pulled off a double steal with one out to get runners to second and third. Dylan Phillips then delivered a single up the middle, driving in Littlejim and Kokoska to tie the game 3-3. Kansas State loaded the bases on back-to-back walks to Daniel Carinci and Cole Johnson. The Wildcats then walked off the win when Dylan Caplinger reached on a fielder's choice that scored Phillips and gave Kansas State the 4-3 win.
 
The game started out as a pitcher's duel between the Huskies' Michael Lasiewicz (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) and the Wildcats' Kasey Ford. The two starters traded putting zeroes on the scoreboard for the first five innings. Lasiewicz struck out four Kansas State batters through five innings, allowing two hits and a walk.
 
The Huskies broke the scoreless deadlock in the top of the sixth when Matt Barnes (Bloomington, Ill./Heartland C.C.) led off the inning with a home run over the right field fence. The Wildcats threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth. Willman led off with a double, then reached third on a passed ball. Lasiewicz made sure he stayed there by retiring the side, getting Kokoska to fly out to Barnes in centerfield to end the inning.
 
Kansas State tied the game in the bottom of the eighth. Terrence Spurlin led off the inning with a double. Johnson came on to pinch run for Spurlin and got to third after Caplinger put down a sacrifice bunt. Seebach came in from the NIU bullpen for Lasiewicz to face Willman. The Kansas State shortstop hit a sacrifice fly to left field, driving home Johnson to make the score 1-1. Seebach got out of the inning by getting Cameron Thompson to pop out to Larson at first base.
 
McKermitt was 3-for-4 at the plate in game one. Lasiewicz allowed one run over 7.1 innings pitched, striking out four while scattering five hits and a walk for a no-decision.
 
Just as they did in the first game of the day, NIU struck first in the nightcap against Rice. The Huskies executed a double steal in the top of the third with freshman Jack Blazevich (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South) taking home to give NIU a 1-0 lead. The Owls answered in the bottom half of the inning with a Guy Garibay solo home run tying the game 1-1.
 
Rice (6-6) took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Designated hitter Justin Dunlap delivered a run-scoring double off of NIU starting pitcher Nate Thomas (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) to make the score 2-1. Garibay then put Rice ahead 3-1 with an RBI groundout that scored Hal Hughes from third base. Braden Comeaux made the score 4-1 with an RBI single to centerfield. The Owls took a 5-1 lead on a run-scoring base hit from Bradley Gneiting. Ryan Anderson (Palatine, Ill./McHenry C.C.) came in from the bullpen to get the Huskies out of the inning and retired the side in the sixth.
 
NIU cut the deficit in half in the top of the seventh. With the bases loaded and one out, Blazevich hit a sacrifice fly that scored Dunham to make the score 5-2 and also advanced Larson to third. Larson then scored on a Reed Gallant balk to get the Huskies within two, 5-3. Rice got a run back in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single from Comeaux. NIU left a runner in scoring position in both the eighth and ninth innings as Gallant closed the game for Rice in a 6-3 win.
 
Due to impending severe weather on Sunday, NIU will play two games Saturday at Reckling Park. The Huskies will take on Kansas State at 10 a.m. and Rice at 6 p.m.
 
--NIU--